Valencia, CA ( January 19, 2016) —At the 102nd Rose Bowl games in Pasadena, CA, communication systems specialist ATK Versacom became an early adopter of Lectrosonics new IFB-VHF System, fielding a pair of IFBT4-VHF frequency agile compact transmitters and IFBR1a-VHF receivers at the event. Newly introduced in December 2015, the new IFB-VHF System (interruptible foldback) operates across 239 frequencies in the less-trafficked VHF broadcast band, improving the ability of audio production and communication systems providers to coordinate larger systems even in a dense RF environment.
“The new Lectrosonics IFB-VHF System worked like a champ,” says Jim Fay, General Manager at ATK Versacom, which is located in Valencia, CA. “I only had on-field talent pros, each covering one-half of the Rose Bowl field for the stadium’s public address. So I put an IFB-VHF on each of them. They both had a stage manager accompanying them, and the show caller up in the press box spoke to each of them.”
While moving IFB and other communication systems into the lower VHF spectrum helps alleviate the congestion in the more critical UHF wireless frequencies, ATK Versacom initially had some concerns about potential audio quality, range and performance issues, says Fay. “What I found interesting was that the Lectrosonics VHF-IFBs sounded very good and had great RF range. I was very pleased about the great sound quality.”
ATK Versacom has long used UHF IFB equipment, and owns several of the Lectrosonics IFB devices operating in the UHF spectrum. “The new Lectrosonics equipment arrived after we had already loaded in at the Rose Bowl. When the guys called me from the shop, I said, ‘please try these before you bring them to me, because if they don’t sound good, I can’t use them’. And the guys called me right back and said, ‘Man, these sound good. We’re going to bring them down.’”
It makes perfect sense to move IFBs into the VHF spectrum, says Fay. “When I first heard about it, it was a no-brainer for me. I called Kelly Fair, Lectrosonics’ Western Regional Sales Manager, immediately. I said, ‘this is going to be a good thing if you can get these Lectrosonics units to me immediately.' Having the new Lectrosonics IFBs means we can do our part to be spectrum-friendly and the Rose Bowl game is a great test of their reliability and performance in a really tough environment.”
The Rose Bowl also turned out to be a really harsh environment for 2015’s Big Ten Conference West Division winners, the Iowa Hawkeyes, who lost the championship game 45–16 to Pac-12 Conference champion Stanford Cardinal.
About Lectrosonics
Well respected within the film, broadcast, and theatre technical communities since 1971, Lectrosonics wireless microphone systems and audio processing products are used daily in mission-critical applications by audio engineers familiar with the company's dedication to quality, customer service, and innovation. Lectrosonics is a US manufacturer based in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Visit the company online at www.lectrosonics.com.
